Persistence
by FrankieQuinn13
Summary: Artie learns that Lancelot is nothing if not persistent, much to his annoyance. Slash Artie/Lancelot


**A/N: so first Shrek fic ever.**

**It's slash, Artie/Lancelot, those two would just be super cute. In my opinion anyway.**

**It's set that morning in Shrek the third before Shrek, Puss and Donkey arrive at Worcestershire.**

**Apologies spelling, grammar and OOCness**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shrek or any of it's characters.**

BANG!

Artie groaned in pain when his body suddenly slammed against the row of lockers and he slid down to the ground, letting his right hand slide against the smooth and now slightly dented surface to steady his descent.

"Stay out of the way Loser!"

The blonde opened his eyes to watch as four members of the jousting team walked away from the scene. Two of them shared a high five while another laughed, while the rest of the population standing near the lockers either giggled, stared or ignored the incident completely.

Not that Arthur expected much from his fellow Worcestershire student body mind you, no he was used to this by now.

Arthur was at the bottom of the food chain, the last one picked, the runt of the litter.

Even the dungeons and dragons nerds were more popular than him.

Arthur Pendragon is the king of the losers.

The blonde slowly picked himself up, taking his time as the rest of the students around him slowly made their way to their respective classes. Although it wasn't really necessary, since the pain that ached in his chest from being knocked around by the jousting team the previous day was enough to make him slow enough as it is. He didn't mind delaying himself a little longer either.

It's not like the classrooms were any safer than the rest of the campus anyway, its actually a bit worse when you think about it.

I mean, at least out here he has the chance to at least try to run and get away but in the classroom running could mean getting a possible detention and if he didn't run the teachers, who were the designated figures of authority, wouldn't really do much to help him out either.

Hell, some of them even laughed along with the rest of the class whenever Artie was pranked or picked on. Mister Merlin is the only one that ever really seemed to care, unfortunately for Artie mister Merlin got fired after his mental breakdown two years ago.

So yeah, taking his time sounded like a really smart plan right now.

All things considered Artie is pretty fast, to be able to _occasionally_ get away from the jousting team he'd have to be, so he wasn't worried about being late.

It's being early in a class full of teenagers that all hated him that had him worried.

Arthur sighed as he tried to dust off the dirt now clinging to his tunic, but gave up after a while and turned towards his dented locker, the same locker he was coincidentally shoved against a few moments ago.

The blonde put the combination into the lock before giving the door a brief kick to the bottom right corner and a gentle tap in the upper left corner and it popped open.

Arthur smiled, running his hand over the smooth surface of the door as he pulled it open.

Ah, yes.

Old reliable.

They've been through some pretty tough times together over the passed few years.

Getting stuffed with toilet paper, harsh slams and shoves and the occasional day locked inside of it whenever his bullies were having a good day. It pretty much made this locker Arthur's best friend, because quite frankly Arthur was starting to suspect that even the inanimate objects in this school were out to get him.

One example, being the day the wooden horse he's forced to sit on while the jousting team had target practice falling on top of him right after he got knocked off of it about a week ago and now refusing to stay still when he was forced to sit on it this week.

But his locker never intentionally tried to hurt him, in fact they were in the same boat if you thought about it.

Both stuck in school, both treated with a ridiculous amount of violence on a daily basis and both completely ignored by every living thing in the area.

They could practically be related.

Still, it's not like Arthur didn't know why everyone hated him.

I mean, its not like they all just simultaneously decided to hate the new kid at school when he arrived, simply because he was skinny, awkward and lacking in any and all sporting ability.

I mean if that was the case then they probably would've just ignored him right? Ignored his existence like some of the student body already does. There shouldn't be a reason why he was automatically picked on, he could have gone through his entire highschool career being completely invisible, but no!

He's such a loser he even gets picked on by Headgear and Nosebleed.

And Arthur knows why.

There's a reason why Arthur Pendragon was dubbed king of the nerds no more than four days after walking through the gate to Worcestershire highschool and it had nothing to do with Arthur being skinny, awkward or athletically challenged.

Or maybe it had everything to do with it.

Arthur reached into his locker and pulled out his advanced magic and arithmacy books when a voice suddenly spoke and he silently groaned in frustration.

"Hey dork, you give up yet?"

Artie sighed before looking up and around the steel door to find sir jerkness himself, Lancelot du Loc, leaning against a locker a few feet away with that annoyingly smug smirk plastered onto his annoyingly handsome face.

The blonde rolled his eyes and looked back into his locker to find the rest of his books as quickly as possible, maybe getting to class is a better idea.

"Hey Artie, I asked you a question."

Arthur still didn't answer he grabbed his last book and slammed the door shut before securing the lock and turned to walk to class.

Unfortunately the only way to get to Arithmacy was passed Lancelot, but Arthur figured that the jock wouldn't try anything too stupid with them being out in the open like that. Regardless of the fact that the halls were empty, there were always a few stragglers that didn't mind being late for class skulking through the halls so the illusion of privacy really was nothing more than an illusion.

Lancelot shifted so his back was flat against the lockers behind him as Arthur approached and gave a snort when it seemed like the dork might actually be trying to ignore him.

"That little fall back there wouldn't have happened if you had just accepted my offer earlier."

Artie ignored him as he got closer only to come to a complete stop when Lancelot suddenly pushed away from the lockers and blocked his way. He tried to step around the raven but Lancelot moved with him, stepped the other way but Lancelot still wouldn't budge.

"We both know that ignoring me just makes me try even harder, so why even bother?"

Artie glared at the taller teen, wishing with every fibre of his being that he could wipe that annoyingly smug look off his face and get rid of that arrogant gleam in those annoyingly perfect eyes.

"What do you want Lancelot?"

"That's more like it." Lancelot smirked, "You might be a total loser but even I can admit that you're smart. We both know what I want, now all you have to do is agree and we can both move on with our lives."

"No." The blonde said simply as he tried to step around Lancelot again only for the raven to move with him.

"C'mon Artie, it's been three years. How long are you going to keep resisting me?"

"I dunno, the rest of my life give or take a few years it takes for you to get it through that thick skull of yours that I'm not interested." Arthur said with a shrug and Lancelot just rolled his eyes.

"You know all of this," Lancelot started as he waved his hand in the general direction of Artie's dented locker, "Could have been avoided, if you'd just accepted my offer during the first week of school."

"Yeah, just like all of this," Artie said mockingly as he waved the hand that wasn't carrying his books around Lancelot's head, "Could have been avoided if you hadn't taken so many knocks to the head during jousting."

"I'm serious Artie."

"So am I, you should be careful a few more hits and your head will be nothing more than an empty shell." The blonde drawled out as he tried to push passed the jock only to be stopped short by Lancelot grabbing his arm and pulling him forward so their bodies were just a few inches apart.

Lancelot leaned in towards Artie's ear and the blonde tried to ignore how his eyes seemed to go from pitch black when he was far away and change to a bright green when he got close enough to smell. Also leading to Arthur trying to ignore the deep scent of grass and whatever else it was that made the jousting captain distinctly Lancelot.

"You know, rejecting me only makes me want you more."

"Well then," Arthur gulped as he tried to ignore the warmth radiating off of the raven's body and glared back up at him, "You're going to want to take my hand in marriage by the time we graduate."

Lancelot smirked as he let go of Arthur's arm to brush away a blonde lock of hair that had fallen into his eyes, "Who says I don't already?"

Artie's eyes widened for a moment before he pulled away and started walking, "You're insane."

"I prefer the term determined." Lancelot said as he easily kept up with the blonde, "It's been three years Artie, if I haven't given up now what makes you think I'll give up anytime in the future? You should just save us all the trouble and submit to me, once and for all."

"And submitting to you would benefit me how?"

"For one thing, no one would ever pick on you again. You see, being mine means reaping the benefits of my protection."

"Do I really look like some damsel in distress in need of rescuing?"

"Do you honestly want me to answer that question?" Lancelot grinned and Arthur stopped to glare up at the taller teen. Lancelot lifted his hand to brush the back of his fingers against Arthur's cheek. "Because I'm sure we've already had this conversation milady."

"This isn't making you seem any more attractive." Artie growled out as he slapped Lancelot's hand away and the raven almost sighed.

"Why not?"

"Why would you want it to?" Artie asked as he shifted his books from one hand to the other as he stared up at the taller teen. "I mean, as much as I loathe to admit it, you could have anyone you wanted in this entire school. Even Guinevere. Why would you pick me?"

"You're different." Lancelot said with a slight shrug, "I find you're oddities... Amusing."

"Amusing?" Artie said with a quirked brow, "You want me, because you find me amusing?"

"I want you because I find you strange and interesting."

"There are lots of people around here like that so how about you just leave me alone?" Artie said as he started walking again only for Lancelot to grab his arm all over again.

"Tell me, why you don't you like me."

"Because I find you strange and disturbing, now let go." The blonde said as he started tugging on his arm and Lancelot leaned in making Artie freeze when the raven's expression changed.

"I'm serious about you, you know."

"Yeah so serious you got the whole school to hate me that first week just cause I rejected you."

Lancelot sighed as he let go of Arthur's hand, "Look I'm sorry alright? I was stupid and I didn't think it would all go this far." Lancelot raked a hand through his hair and Arthur tried to ignore how soft it looked as the raven locks fell in and out of place. "I just figured that if no one wanted you back then, you'd have to like me and well..." Arthur's eyes went wide as he watched a light pink tinge bloom across the jousting captain's face. "I didn't really want you to notice anyone but me so I... I made up some stupid rumour and-"

"And got everyone to think I'm a loser, yeah I get it. Get out of the way."

"Artie."

"What?!" Arthur snapped as he glared at the taller teen when his eyes shot open and he stopped breathing as a pair of lips pressed onto his.

Lancelot grabbed Artie by the waist and pulled him close making the blonde drop his books as the jousting captain's hand went up to gently cup his face and Artie couldn't help but moan as Lancelot's lips moved against his.

The blonde's mind fizzled out for a moment as he brought his hands up to tangle in Lancelot's hair while the raven just pulled him closer and deepened the kiss, pulling another moan from Artie's throat before Lancelot pulled away and stared right into the blonde's blurry blue eyes.

Smooth fingers brushed against the flush in the blonde's cheeks and Artie sighed as he leaned into the touch.

"I'm sorry, if I could take it all back I would but I can't, so all I can offer you right at this moment is my everlasting love and devotion. For I could never promise it to anyone other than you." Lancelot said and Artie's breath hitched in his throat, until he remembered exactly who this was and what they were doing.

So what if Lancelot is an absolutely mind blowing kisser, he already found out about that in his second year the first time the jousting captain pulled a move like this. Besides, one kiss and an oath of devotion doesn't make up for years of bullying and being treated like dirt.

Artie forced himself to look away from the intense emotions that flooded Lancelot's green eyes and pulled out of the jock's grasp to quickly pick up his books.

"Artie-"

"I'm going to be late for class." The blonde said as he turned around and quickly walked away while Lancelot stayed where he was as he watched him go.

"I won't give up. There is no sweeter taste on they'n tongue than victory and there will be no better prize than you, Arthur Pendragon." Lancelot called and Arthur paused as he looked over his shoulder for a moment before making the rest of his way back to his class.

FIVE YEARS LATER

Arthur gave a heavy sigh as he leaned back against his bedroom doors and kicked off his shoes, cursing Shrek, Puss, Donkey and everyone else that somehow managed to convince him that this whole running the kingdom thing would be a good idea.

It was the same thing every day.

If it wasn't the Hook putting in another bid for a flower show, it was the enchanted tree's and their extreme air acrobatics display and when it wasn't the enchanted armour's marching band it was the little miss pretty princess princess pageant. And then of course all those boats, those stupid, stupid boats and their damn bottles. Honestly Artie doesn't know how Shrek managed to fill in for those few weeks let alone how his uncle did this for more than twenty years.

But at least he gets to rest now, if only till the insanity starts up all again in the morning.

Artie took a deep breath and pushed off the door as he padded over the intricate mosaic floors over to the bathroom when his arm was suddenly grabbed and he was pulled against a hard chain male covered chest. The king let out a brief yelp of surprise when a warm pair of lips covered his own and sword scarred hands went up to caress his face.

Artie moaned as he wrapped his arms around the figures neck as the kiss deepened when they pulled away and the blonde sighed in frustration when he found himself faced with those still annoyingly perfect eyes on that still annoyingly handsome face.

"Good evening my king."

Lancelot du Loc.

Honestly he should have known trouble was brewing when Lancelot came to the castle two years ago to be knighted by the king of Far Far Away.

But after that speech he gave to the kingdom about stereotypes and not letting others dictate who you are, Artie figured he could at least throw the man a bone by doing him this one favour.

Of course, what his royal advisors neglected to tell him was that once you knight someone in your kingdom, they become knights in your kingdom and are placed under your service.

Oh, he really should have known.

He should have known that there would be trouble when Lancelot stared right into his eyes as he made that damn oath in front of the entire kingdom.

_"I swear my loyalty, faith and devotion to you and only you my king."_

Arthur almost groaned at the idiocy of it all.

This is probably the fifth time this week that this has happened, not counting all those other times over the passed four years that Lancelot has lived in Far Far Away. Each time Arthur would have him thrown out and every time Lancelot would come back.

Really, persistence is one thing but this is just ridiculous.

Artie sighed as he arched a brow at the knight but didn't remove his arms from around his neck, "You're really never going to give up, are you?"

"For one as addictive as you?" Lancelot smirked, "Never."

"I thought I was strange and interesting."

"You're a lot of things," the knight shrugged, "That's why I love you."

Artie's cheeks flushed but he still gave a heavy sigh, "Fine, but don't forget I'm still king, you're not allowed to treat me like your sweet fair damsel or something."

"How about my seductive vixen?"

Artie glared, "You're just asking to be banished aren't you?"

**The End**

**A/N: so how was it?**

**Please review**


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